Found this info posted on another forum, thought it might come in handy for those needing so ship goods via UPS outside the US.....
Here's how to avoid the brokerage fee, as well as the "disbursement fee" and "COD fee": broker your own package.
1) As soon as you have the tracking #, you call UPS and say that you will clear your own goods thru customs. At this point the UPS rep will put a "Clears Own" note on your shipment which freezes the shipment in the UPS warehouse nearest you. VERY IMPORTANT TO CALL WITH THE TRACKING NUMBER AS SOON AS IT WAS CREATED.
2) The day after it arrives in the UPS warehouse closest to you there will be papers ready for you to pick up.
3) Pick up the papers at UPS.
4) Bring the papers to the nearest Customs Canada office and pay the taxes and duty.
5) Go back to the UPS warehouse, give them their stamped papers that prove the goods have been cleared.
If you're not willing to do all that, you can *reduce* the brokerage fees you pay quite dramatically by calling UPS in advance (before the package is delivered) and pre-paying. This is because the brokerage fee also includes two other fees: the disbursement fee and the COD fee. The disbursement fee is charged, as stupid as this sounds, because you didn't pre-pay the brokerage fee *before* the package is delivered to you. The COD fee is charged for collecting the fees that you didn't prepay (I'm not making this up!). Anyway, for small valued packages, these two charges make up as much as 60% of the total "brokerage fee". You can eliminate these charges (thus saving up to 60%) by calling 1-800-PICK-UPS *before* your package is delivered and asking them about their pre-payment and EFT plans.
1) As soon as you have the tracking #, you call UPS and say that you will clear your own goods thru customs. At this point the UPS rep will put a "Clears Own" note on your shipment which freezes the shipment in the UPS warehouse nearest you. VERY IMPORTANT TO CALL WITH THE TRACKING NUMBER AS SOON AS IT WAS CREATED.
2) The day after it arrives in the UPS warehouse closest to you there will be papers ready for you to pick up.
3) Pick up the papers at UPS.
4) Bring the papers to the nearest Customs Canada office and pay the taxes and duty.
5) Go back to the UPS warehouse, give them their stamped papers that prove the goods have been cleared.
If you're not willing to do all that, you can *reduce* the brokerage fees you pay quite dramatically by calling UPS in advance (before the package is delivered) and pre-paying. This is because the brokerage fee also includes two other fees: the disbursement fee and the COD fee. The disbursement fee is charged, as stupid as this sounds, because you didn't pre-pay the brokerage fee *before* the package is delivered to you. The COD fee is charged for collecting the fees that you didn't prepay (I'm not making this up!). Anyway, for small valued packages, these two charges make up as much as 60% of the total "brokerage fee". You can eliminate these charges (thus saving up to 60%) by calling 1-800-PICK-UPS *before* your package is delivered and asking them about their pre-payment and EFT plans.
Can someone please tell me if and how much U.S. Customs will charge in duties and tariffs? Would the seller or buyer be charged? What are ways to minimize this?
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